Moving On
by Risma
Summary: WARNING: SLASH CONTENT Molly's doing her best to set Remus up with poor Tonks and yet this is not the person who has captured his interst. Post OotP.


I'm sick of reading all these fics with Tonks/Remus or Remus/Tonks just because Sirius has died. Personally I think a love like that of Sirius/Remus will last a lot longer and I can see him living the life of a bachelor. Read and enjoy – R

**Disclaimer: **J.K. Rowling owns all to do with Harry Potter, his friends, family and enemies. This story is for fun, not profit.

**Moving On **

It had been three months. Three long agonizing months without Sirius and he sighed at the thought of many more to come. For ninety-one days he received no end of well wishes, sympathies and odd little memories from their friends and classmates, all in the effort of cheering him up.

What they did not know, was that Remus was already cheerful. Not in a delirious state of course, but he knew that he would pull through the last years of his life without Sirius. As a result of this unfortunate event, he had already applied of the adoption of Harry under the boy's recommendations and permanently moved into Grimmauld Place with the charming Mrs Black.

The only thing troubling him was that Molly had this crazy idea that no one should live alone for the rest of their days. Every time the topic of courting turned up over the dinners she herself hosted, all the red-heads would roll their eyes to the heavens as if repenting whatever they did to deserve her. She would go on about the fact that Remus would be a great father and that family was the best thing the deities ever gave her, while snatching the experimental explosives out of the twins' hands.

Her latest victim of choice was Tonks. Although all the Order knew about Remus' past relationship, Molly had convinced herself that love was where you found it.

Remus, who had politely refused the five other suitors, reluctantly surrendered to Tonks as he did not want to explain to Molly the complications of werewolf mating habits. It is not that he did not like the metamorphmagus, he was fond of her delightful company. But she was too young at heart to be anything more to him, especially when her antics reminded him of Sirius. He always suspected there was a mischievous gene in the line of Black.

Poor Nymphadora found Molly's meddling ever more preposterous. Whenever the two would be suddenly left alone as if the Order had taken a stage cue, Tonks would compulsively say anything that came to her head to break the nervous tension in the air. Muggles and wizarding folk were usually nervous around creatures of the night, but Tonks hair would turn a light fucia in embarrassment once she realized that she had been rambling. Remus would laugh it off and the two would soon be content in each other's company, playing wizards' chess until Molly returned for a status report.

This frequent game of chess was supposed to occur that afternoon. Molly had found a reason to shout everyone, including Mundungus, ice-cream at Diagon Alley whilst proclaiming that someone should stay in case Dumbledore sent word. Remus was unanimously voted to stay behind and as he waved them good-bye from the hearth he recalled the last thing Molly said to him; "If you never try to love, how will you know?"

While Remus was searching for the chess board, it like everything else in the creepy house had slinked off into a dark corner somewhere, the front door creaked open. He poked his head into the hallway to find the one person he did not expect to see too soon.

"It's been a while," she murmured, wiping invisible dust from her fingertips. Narcissa Malfoy, one who had a hand in destroying what was left of Remus' life, was standing there haughtily surveying the hallway. "Hmm… you've really let the house go haven't you?"

"I see you've welcomed yourself in?" Remus smiled politely. "Please, won't you join me in the drawing room?"

Narcissa peered down her nose at his hospitality but halted before the large covered picture frame before the stairs. "What have you got hidden behind here, Mr Gray?"

"No! Don't pull that!" Remus warned.

The velvet curtains were drawn and the screaming tirade of Mrs Black came to a screeching halt at the sight of her niece. The elderly woman's scowl turned into the smile of a hostess: "Narcissa, my dear. Don't you get caught up with this rabble of mudbloods, filthy half-breeds and blood traitors."

"That needn't be a problem, Aunty. I'm only here to give my – condolences – at it were," she nodded politely and headed up the stairs.

Remus was too shocked at the civility between the witches to realise he was left under Mrs Black's scrutiny as Narcissa creaked around on the floor boards above him.

"Hmm…" she answered, sipping her nettle tea. "I'm not proud of him."

Remus was confused, but that was no surprise considering his company. Since Narcissa took the Malfoy name, she'd become synchronized with reality, more so due to recent events.

"Sirius," she said, noting his knitted brow. "He didn't keep his promise."

Far be it for Remus to be curious, this vow was interesting. "And now he's dead. Not much of a life really. Not much to live for. Am I to understand that you'll be looking after the boy?"

"I've owled the application for adoption, yes," he replied.

"You won't be approved, my dear Remus," she stated wryly, replacing her teaspoons position on her saucer. "Too unnatural."

Remus was sidetracked by her compulsive behaviour. "Yes, but someone needs to look after him. All children need someone to appreciate them."

Her violet eyes flicked to his and she drew back to star down her nose at him. "Draco had two loving parents, though one at present is indisposed."

"In Azkaban!" he shouted. How could she possibly try to tell him he was not fatherly material when Lucius did Gods know what to his own son? Sure she could look after the boy but how would they get by? They were now ostracized from society thanks of the investigatory diligence of the Daily Prophet.

Narcissa sighed. "Stop dredging up this ridiculous discussion," she settle her cup on the small table. They did have this discussion, years ago, on her wedding night. "I've made my choices. You made your's. It would have been stupid to believe that – No. I'm not going to start again." She lost her composure and rested back against the chair. "You fell in love with Sirius and I'm grateful you did."

Remus set aside his own forgotten tea. "Grateful?"

"Do not misunderstand, my cousin and I were not on friendly terms. That did not mean I wished him ill." Her eyes softened and to his surprise her lips twisted into a small smile. "I'm grateful he spent his last days with someone of your caliber."

There was a knock at the front door and Narcissa rose to leave. She stooped to kiss Remus on the cheek. "I'm sorry for your loss. He was a fine specimen of a Black." She straightened her posture to that of lady, held her head high and glided from the room. Remus stumbled over the chair and rushed to lead to her to the door. Afterall, it would probably be the last time he would see her before chaos consumed their world.

A familiar shock of purple hair stuck out around the door. "The door was unlocked and so –" She stepped back at the presence of her aunt. "Am I interrupting?" she asked.

"I was just leaving," Narcissa nodded to her niece. "Nymphadora." With that the door closed leaving them in the hallway.

"What was all that about?" Asked Tonks, digging him in the ribs.

He would never see her again, he just knew it. There was a lovely lady who had to remain civil and cold for those under the employ of Lucius to respect her authority over the Malfoy fortune. It would not be easy, and he knew she would never stoop so low as to ask a half-breed for help, yet he knew she would struggle through. Perhaps her son, would learn more humanity from her and make the name Malfoy respectable again.

"Nevermind," he said softly and led her to the kitchen for their game of chess.


End file.
